Moments
by heylolitahey
Summary: Everyone knows Cat Valentine as the silly, absent-minded, fun-sized girl with the red velvet cupcake hair. But everything depends on moments. Moments are life's building blocks. A single moment can define you forever. Moments can change your life.
1. That Familiar Sting

The gang was all together at Tori's house for a sleepover under the watchful eye of her policeman father. Beck and Jade managed to stop bickering enough for them to all to watch a horror movie on Netflix, which of course, was chosen by Jade. No one had the energy to argue with her, let alone the guts. It was the first time they were all hanging out together in peace since Beck and Jade ended their relationship, and no one wanted to take it for granted. Jade sat between Tori and Andre on the couch on the left, while Beck sat between Robbie and Cat on the couch to the right. Trina, Tori's older sister, was tucked within a sleeping bag and soundly sleeping without knowledge of the fact Robbie had tucked in Rex beside her. Robbie was beginning to nod off, and Andre had his head leaned back against the back of the couch, trying but not succeeding to fight off his drowsiness.

Cat Valentine watched as the characters on the screen ran for their lives as some guy with a chainsaw chased after them. Cat brought her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, and resting her chin between them. She looked around Tori's living room, which was dark with the exception of the occasional flashes of light from the movie that was playing. Through the glitches of light, Cat could see Jade watching the movie with a sinister smile on her face, and Tori, who would twitch in fear.

"Watch out!" Tori exclaimed, causing Andre and Robbie to shoot up, both of them rubbing their eyes and gaining consciousness.

Cat let out a giggle, then looked down at her feet, which were a little cold since she had forgotten to bring socks. With a scrunch of her nose, she wiggled her toes and giggled once more.

"Cat, will you shut up?" Jade snapped. Cat suddenly felt uneasy, and felt that familiar sting behind her eyes which usually preceded crying.

"Hey, lay off. She wasn't doing anything," the voice beside her said, and Cat looked up at Beck, a pout plastered upon her lips, and he simply smiled at her.

"I'm trying to watch a movie," Jade said, and Cat turned her head to look at Jade, who was glaring at her. Cat made some sort of noise that sounded like a squeak and hid her face in her hands.

"Yeah, well you're not the only one in the room, so get over yourself," Beck practically mumbled.

"Excuse me?" Jade's voice rose. Cat ducked her head between her knees, trying to cover her ears as she kept her face in her hands.

"Guys, come on, not now," Tori pleaded, trying to somehow mediate the situation. Cat squeezed her eyes shut, silently wishing that all the "bad" would go away.

"Why not now, Tori? You're not the boss of us, you do not control me, so don't even try to," Cat could hear Jade say. She could only imagine the look on Jade's face, which seemed permanently stuck on a scowl.

Cat couldn't hear Tori's reply very well, but she felt the weight beside her disappear, and slowly lifted her head up to see that Beck was now standing up and pointing an accusing finger at Jade.

"Why do you always have to make people feel bad, Jade?" he asked. Cat couldn't tell if he was angry, or if he was just tired of it.

Jade had ignored Beck's remark and was focusing her bitterness towards Tori. Andre was standing up now too, trying to pull the girls away from each other to avoid any physical contact between them. Cat felt something stir inside of her which pushed her to stand up and scream, "Stop! Stop fighting!" Beck, who had started to take steps toward the other trio, turned around and looked at Cat. Cat was breathing heavily, and tears were forming in her eyes. "Jade, why do you have to be so mean? We were all having a good time and you and Beck always have to ruin it with your fighting and it makes me feel really bad!"

Everyone had their eyes on the pint-sized girl with the red-velvet hair, wondering how that outburst came about. She plopped back onto the couch in a huff, her arms crossed over her chest, and she muttered, "I'm sorry," and then continued watching the movie. No one said another word and they all took their seats once again. There was an awkward tension that filled the room, and after about 20 minutes of silence, Cat's phone started to ring. At first, she didn't know it was her phone and she glanced around at everyone, then once she realized the sound was coming from her pocket, she broke out into a fit of laughter. "Oh! It's me-heee-heee-hee!"

Tori grabbed the remote and pressed pause, allowing Cat to answer her phone.

"Helloooo?" Cat sang into her pear-shaped phone. "Hi mom! Guys, say hi to my mom!" Cat held out her phone as everyone said "Hi Cat's mom!"

Cat brought her phone back to her ear with a bright smile on her face that replaced her previous pout. Everyone else took this time to get up and stretch. Robbie and Jade raced each other to the nearest bathroom, Jade of course winning, making Robbie take the trip upstairs. Tori and Andre went into the kitchen to get everyone some drinks and snacks, leaving Beck and Cat in the living room.

"So what's up, Mommy?"

"Sweetie, I don't know how to tell you this,"

"Tell me what?" Cat laughed softly, but something inside her was hurting. She could sense something was wrong by the tone of her mom's voice. She could hear her mother take a deep, shaky breath on the other line. Cat's eyebrows furrowed, and she looked over at Beck who must have sensed the same thing, because his eyes looked worried. "What is it, mom?" she pressed on, her voice still soft.

"It's your father, he," a long pause, "there was a terrible accident, and-" Cat's eyes widened as her mother spoke the last words of the sentence, "he didn't make it."


	2. By My Side

Cat didn't make a sound, but she could hear everything crashing inside of her. She felt dizzy, nauseous, and everything in between. Everything inside her was a whirlwind and everything on the outside was spinning, and her mind wasn't coming up with any sort of reaction. Her body was almost petrified, but everything was rocking back and forth within her, and with a sudden jerk, she threw her phone onto the ground, took one look at Beck, who was saying something but she couldn't hear it. All she could hear was the sound of cars colliding, which pushed her to limits she didn't know she had, and that's when it hit her. Cat could feel the tears streaming down her face, but she didn't even know she started crying. She watched as the concern in Beck's eyes deepen, but she couldn't open her mouth to say anything. She just wanted to sleep, she was overwhelmed by the desire to sleep, but she couldn't move. Her body trembled as the tears continued, and she could feel some of them trickling down her neck, and all she could do was stare at Beck, who was now shaking her. He looked like he was yelling, but she couldn't process what he was saying. She couldn't process anything. The rest of her friends were coming back, and soon enough, their expressions began to match Beck's. Cat couldn't keep her eyes open anymore, and her eyes shut on their own, squeezing out the remainder of her tears, and everything stopped.

"Cat, wake up," voices would take turn saying. Some of the voices sounded familiar, some of them didn't. Cat's eyes remained closed, and she stayed in the comfort of the blackness of her eyelids. She had never been so thankful for eyelids before, shielding her from everything she didn't want to see in the world. Cat noticed a beep that repeated itself in a steady rhythm, which puzzled her. Was she dreaming? Suddenly, one of the unfamiliar voices started speaking again. "Well, her vital signs are all in check, and she should be waking up soon, and she should be back to normal right away."

"Thank you, doctor, thank you so much," a voice that sounded like her mother said. It sounded like she's been crying all night.

"Of course, Mrs. Valentine. I'm very sorry for your loss."

Those words sparked something inside of Cat, causing her to gulp and fidget uncomfortably.

"Cat?" a different voice called out. It was Beck's. Cat's eyelids parted slowly, the brightness catching her offguard, but nonetheless, her eyes opened and she caught the view of a hospital room. Cat found her mom who was seated on a chair that was scooted as close to her hospital bed as it could be, and watched as her mother's face lit up. "Cat, baby, you're awake," she sighed with relief.

Cat nodded then looked to the other side of her hospital bed, where Beck was seated on the same kind of chair, scooted to the same vicinity.

"Hey," he said, a tired smile forming on his face. Cat stared at him for several minutes. She had so many questions, like why was she here? What happened to her? Why was he here? Why wasn't her dad here?

"My dad is dead," Cat whispered. She wasn't really sure who she was talking to, possibly it was herself, but she said it and it was as if the words were placed right in front of her to look at. She could feel herself beginning to cry again, and her mom placed a tissue box on her lap. Cat shook her head slowly. "I think my heart just broke."

"Cat," Beck said, his voice was really soft, which was new considering for the past few weeks, Cat had gotten used to hearing him yelling at Jade. "I know that it doesn't really help anything, but I'm so sorry."

"I'm going to go tell the doctor she's awake," Mrs. Valentine said as she rose from her seat, "I'll leave you two alone for a few minutes."

When Mrs. Valentine was out of the room, Beck continued, "I know that you've been really stressed out with all the fighting between me and Jade, and for the accident to happen.. when you had that panic attack last night, Cat, your body went into shock, and I didn't know what to do, I brought you to the hospital and I haven't left your side since. I feel like I'm responsible for-"

"Beck, how can you possibly think any of this is your fault?" Beck sat in silence, staring at Cat in bewilderment. The playful, ditzy tone that he had grown to love was replaced with one of depth and seriousness. "Stop looking at me like I'm crazy."

"You're not crazy," Beck said, but it sounded more like he was still trying to believe it himself.

"I just don't think being an airhead would be appropriate right now," Cat shrugged, and a few tears escaped her eyes. "Where's everyone else?"

"They're still in the waiting room, the doctor said only two people can be in the room with you at once. He said you'd be overwhelmed if there were any more."

"He's right," Cat's voice broke a little. "Thank you, Beck."

"For what?" Beck asked, his eyes never leaving hers.

"For always being by my side."


	3. Give It A Chance

Everyday since getting released from the hospital, Cat spent hours upon hours helping her mom plan her father's funeral. It was easier said than done, and it included a lot of break downs and door slams. Her friends frequently visited to try to help ease the ache, but all they ever gave her was weird stares after she'd say something that sounded intelligent. She was tired of the looks people gave her. They were either full of pity or just plain condescending. She was tired of all the "I'm sorry's" because she could receive an apology from everyone in the world, but it still wouldn't bring back her father.

Cat was preparing dinner for her mother and herself when her phone rang, and if it were anyone else, she would have ignored it, but it was Beck. She felt that she owed a lot to Beck, and as mad as she was at the world, she pressed "Accept" and with her shoulder, pressed her phone against her ear as she poured a box of noodles into a pot of boiling water.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Cat! Hey, what are you having for dinner?"

"Um, spaghetti and possibly some chicken nuggets, why?"

Beck mimicked a buzzer noise, "I'm sorry, wrong answer!"

Cat let out a soft laugh, "What are you talking about?"

"Don't move," Beck whispered through the phone.

Cat's eyebrows rose in confusion, and even though she really didn't have to, she froze, which caused her to pour more noodles into the pot than originally planned. Then suddenly she felt a presence behind her, which caused her body to go into a state of alarm. Without wasting another second, she swung around and shoved the body that was behind her, then screamed as the body of Beck fell onto her kitchen floor. Her phone flew out of her hand but even as Beck was rubbing the back of his head, he managed to catch it with his free hand. The two of them just stared at each other, until Beck started laughing hysterically. Cat found herself giggling along with him, then she immediately felt guilty for feeling even the slightest bit of joy. Cat turned around and turned the stove off, then helped Beck up onto his feet. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "Who let you in?"

"Your mom. My parents invited her out to dinner. We figured both of you really needed some time to just, relax, so they're taking her out, and I guess that leaves me with you," Beck said, a smile forming across his lips. He stood about half a foot taller than Cat, and she stared up at him quietly.

"Beck Oliver, you are out of your mind," she said, which made him laugh once again. He shrugged in response. "Then what are we having for dinner? Because if it's not spaghetti, I wasted a lot of good noodles."

"Well, Cat Valentine, if you are so inclined to find out," Beck said, then he started walking towards the living room. Cat hesitated, rolled her shoulders back before following him. She was surprised by the sight of two pizza boxes, and several cans of soda placed between them. Pillows were placed on either side of the coffee table, and the only light came from the floor lamp across the room. "Viola," Beck grinned, his arms extended as if he were showcasing a five-star restaurant.

Cat laughed at the display, then quickly made her way to one of the pillows and sat down with her legs in the criss-crossed applesauce position, and waited patiently as Beck did the same. "So you're telling me that I gave up a gourmet dinner of my famous spaghetti for pizza that was made down the street?"

"Hey, give it a chance, will you?" Beck said with a sneaky smile, and leaned over to open two cans of soda, pushing one towards Cat. She took the can in her hands, and looked at him questioningly. "Alright, here's the plan. Both of us have a pizza pie of ten slices, right?" Cat opened up the box in front of her and mentally counted each piece, and when she came up with ten, she nodded, letting him continue. "Well, I hope you're hungry, because Cat, I challenge you to a pizza-eating contest. First one to finish wins."

Cat couldn't help but giggle, and shook her head slightly. "You're on. What's the prize?" she asked.

"I don't know yet, we'll come up with it when the time comes, yeah?" Beck replied, and extended his arm, can in hand, "May the best pizza-eater win."

Cat smiled, for the first time in what felt like forever, and clinked her can of soda against his.

"Ready?" Cat said.

"Set."

"Go!" they said together, and the contest began.

Cat was down to her fifth piece of pizza when she took a few seconds to let out a loud burp, and quickly washed down what she was chewing with some soda, which caused her to burp once again. "Excuse me," she said lightly. Her eyes met his, and the two began laughing hysterically. Cat held her stomach, trying to stop laughing, "Oh my God! I'm gonna puke! Stop making me laugh!"

"I didn't do anything!" Beck said, his voice shaking with suppressed laughter. Cat tore off a piece of her crust and tossed it over at Beck, and it bounced off his forehead, which sent them into another fit of laughter. "Hey! Stop distracting me, I'm trying to win here," Beck said after a few minutes of laughing. He sounded out of breath, but so was she. She giggled innocently and went back to devouring her sixth piece of pizza.

"My favorite part of the pizza," Cat started to say, "is the part where the cheese meets the crust, and it's sort of like, tearing away from it, and it's super saucy."

"I'll keep that in mind," Beck said. Their eyes met once again, but there was something different about this time. Cat studied Beck's face for a moment, and something in the back of her mind told her that she wouldn't mind seeing this face everyday for the rest of her life. In the few seconds that she lost herself in her thoughts, Beck turned his box around to show its emptiness, and he looked at her with a grin of pride. "I win," he boasted.

Cat rolled her eyes and patted her stomach, "What-ever, I let you win."

Beck smirked, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "About that prize."

"Wait a minute! You shouldn't be allowed to come up with your own prize!" Cat protested, her fist hitting the table dramatically.

"Too bad," Beck chuckled. "My prize is.."

Cat stared at him, wondering what was on his mind at this very moment.

All he did was smile, and something about him smiling, made her feel like it was ok for her to smile too.


	4. The Day of the Funeral

"Cat, are you ready?" Mrs. Valentine called from the bottom of the stairs. It was the day of the funeral, and it was going to be the last time Cat would see her father again. Cat stared at her reflection in the mirror. Dressed in a black dress that scooped a little in front, allowing the skin above the neckline to be occupied by the necklace her father bought her for her sixteenth birthday a few months ago.

"Almost," Cat said inaudibly, then cleared her throat and repeated her answer loudly enough for her mom to hear. Cat ran her fingers through her hair, taking it up into a loose ponytail. She glanced over to a picture of her and her father that she taped up to her mirror, and lifted her hand to caress it, almost desperate to feel something other than the glossy paper. But she couldn't. Cat choked back her tears as she walked out of her bedroom and down the stairs, joining her mother in the car. The ride to the funeral home was a long and quiet one, and once they got there, the air was still and the area was peaceful, which opposed everything Cat felt inside.

"Mom," Cat said, as her mother circled the car to join her daughter.

"Yes?"

"I don't think I'm ready for this. All I can think about is how dad used to tell me that he'd always be here for me but he's not here anymore, and I don't know why I'm so mad. I shouldn't be mad. It's not his fault. I think I'm mad at myself."

"Sweetheart, the grief process-"  
>"Don't even start with that bullshit, mom!" Cat shouted, and a pang of guilt shot through her spine, but she was too angry to apologize. She stormed into the building and locked herself in the restroom, where she finally let out the tears that she had been holding back for days. She was crying because her dad was gone, she was crying because she had yelled at her mom which she has never done before, she was crying because she didn't know what else to do.<p>

Cat's sobs filled the room, and she stayed there for what felt like hours. There was a knock at the door, and she wanted to scream "Go away!" but she just continued crying.

"Cat, honey, it's time," her mom's muffled voice sounded through the door. Cat gasped for air as her sobs slowed to a stop. She tried to pull herself together, and she finally stepped out from the stall, and lifted her chin to face her reflection once again. Whatever makeup she had applied earlier was smeared across her face, and she quickly washed her face and wiped off what she could, and then she was out.

Cat made her way to the chapel and kept her eyes forward, avoiding any and all of the guests, many of which tried to share their condolences. The familiar sound of her mother's heavy sobs rang through her ears, and she watched as her mother leaned over her father's coffin, shaking him as if he was asleep and she was trying to wake him up. The sight of this caused Cat's vision to blur as new tears were forming. Her body quaked as she continued down the aisle to where her father's body lay. As she approached the coffin, her mother was escorted to her seat, and Cat closed her eyes to let the rest of her tears fall. As her eyes opened, she took a step closer towards her father. A soft sound escaped her throat, which sounded like a whimper, and she gulped down her tears helplessly, as she stared at the breathless body below her.

"Daddy," she cried, as her knees began to buckle, and for a moment she could barely keep herself standing. She could hear a few people break into sobs behind her but they were of no matter to her. Cat threw her arms around her father's body, and begged him to wake up. "Daddy, please, don't leave me."

"Cat," a voice said behind her, and she could feel a hand on her back. She couldn't bring herself away from the coffin, but she knew she had to. "It's alright," the voice whispered. Cat allowed herself to be pulled away and guided to her seat beside her mother, who grabbed her hand as the sermon began. Unconsciously, Cat had tuned out during the speeches that came before her. All she could think about was how her father wasn't going to be there to see her graduate, and get accepted to college, get married and start a family of her own. And before she knew it, she was snapped back into reality as her name was being called.

"Cat, it's your turn to give your speech," the priest beckoned. Cat looked up, and slowly stood from her seat and made her way to the front of the room. She stood beside her father's coffin, and looked at him a few times before taking a deep breath.

"Hi everyone," she began, suddenly feeling a thirst she wasn't feeling before. She licked her lips and continued, "a lot of you know my dad as a co-worker, or a friend, or a relative. But I was the only one who knew him as a father. Not only that, but he was a mentor. A teacher. He was my Daddy, and the only Daddy I'll ever have. He showed me that I didn't have to take life so seriously all the time. That it was ok to have fun, be silly, and that a day isn't a full day until you've experienced every emotion in the book. He made me feel like I could do anything. Like the world was my playground. And we all have our ups and downs. We'll have our climbs, and we'll have times where it feels like you're going down a never-ending slide. He always promised he'd be at the end of the slide to help me get back up again," Cat paused, and looked around the room. "I know my dad has touched every single one of your lives, and I'm not mad anymore because, my dad never left us. A part of him lives in every single one of us, and it's our job to make sure that what he taught us never goes away. We owe it to him to be happy, because he reminded us that we were worthy of happiness. I may not be ready to say goodbye just yet, but I know that I don't have to say goodbye. He'll always be with me. Thanks to all of you for coming, and thank you Daddy for all the blessings you filled my life with, and all the hope that you've given to all of us. I love you, Daddy." Cat said, and leaned towards her father to place a soft kiss on his forehead, as tears blurred her vision once again. But this time she managed to smile through the tears, and looked out to everyone, and they were clapping. It took a moment for her to realize they were clapping for her, not just that, but clapping for her father. Her eyes scanned the room, and she was overwhelmed with the love and support that was spreading throughout the rows of people. And sure enough, her eyes caught the eyes of Beck's, and he gave her an affirming nod, and a smile that made her believe that everything was gonna be alright.


	5. I Don't Know

It was Cat's first day back to school since her father died, but she felt like she was ready to take on the world again. Returning to Hollywood Arts shouldn't be so bad, since she's got great friends to come back to and classes she truly enjoys being a part of. Cat stood at her locker, watching as her peers carried on with their daily lives, and let out a sigh as she began organizing her things.

"Cat!" a familiar voice called out, and Cat peeked out from behind her locker door and found Tori speeding towards her. Cat didn't have any time to blink before she was pulled into a tight hug. "It's so good seeing you back here," Tori said as she released Cat from the hug.

Cat smiled softly and nodded, "It's good to be back."

"Little Red!" Andre Harris yelled from across the hall, and joined the girls, giving Cat the same squeeze that Tori did. "It's great to have you back."

"It is pretty great!" Robbie's voice chimed in, and with Rex in hand, he added, "Don't you mean really great?"

Cat giggled lightly and looked around, wondering where Beck was. She quickly regretted asking, because the answer she received wasn't what she was expecting. She stared ahead of her in disbelief as Beck walked up to them, his hand intertwined with Jade's. Cat didn't know why it hurt her so much, and she felt her eyebrows crinkle slightly, then quickly looked down at the floor. There was an unnerving numbness that took over her body, and she tried to gather all her thoughts and throw them out some kind of window, but she felt like she was trapped within concrete walls.

"It's been a while," Jade said, and Cat finally looked up and could see an unfamiliar, almost friendly smile on Jade's face. Cat tensed up as Jade spoke again, "Welcome back."

Taking in a shallow breath, Cat met Jade's gaze and let out a barely audible, "Thank you." Then finally she gained the courage to look at Beck, who looked at her like he always has. Before he could say anything, the bell that sent them all hurrying to their classes rang, but she caught a glimpse of his eyes. There was something there, something different. It was a look that left her wondering all through the day. And then came lunch. She met her group of friends at the table that they usually sat at and decided to sit next to Tori, opposite to Beck and Jade. Cat sat silently as she poked at her salad with a fork, and she listened to her friends talk about things that she wasn't around to witness. It was almost like she was never gone, or more like, it was like she was still gone. All Cat could think about was the night of the pizza-eating contest, and she was just at a loss for words. Why was it such a surprise to her that he got back together with Jade? And why did it hurt her? Cat's eyes didn't leave her food for a single second until the bell rang to dismiss them from lunch, and she carefully glanced at where she knew Beck was sitting. He was watching her, as Jade teased Robbie about something. For a moment, the world was muted, and Beck locked her in a gaze that made her body lock as well. There was a mixture of apology, and concern in his eyes. It was the look of pity. Cat made a sound, that caused everyone to look at her, and for Beck to look away. She returned everyone's estranged looks with a scowl and without taking a second glance, she rushed out of the quad and hurried back into the school building. It was all finally coming to her. Everything Beck did, it was because he felt sorry for her. He wanted to own up for whatever he felt responsible for. Like she was sick and he took care of her because that's just what you're supposed to do. It left Cat speechless, how much pain she was feeling over some guy who wasn't even hers to worry about. Cat was startled by the feeling of her phone vibrating within her pants pocket. She looked around, using her surroundings to her advantage, and slid into the janitor's closet for privacy. The vibrating in her pocket continued, and all she could think about was how she wished her dad was here to talk to. Her father was the only man she could ever really depend on, and she was still getting used to the fact that he wasn't around anymore. Growing irritated, she finally yanked her phone out of her pocket, and answered the incoming call without even bothering to check the Caller ID. "What?" she yelled into the phone as tears slipped out of her eyes. Cat was starting to grow tired of crying all the time. It was a wonder how she had any tears left to cry.

"We need to talk," the voice on the phone said, which she translated to be Beck's. "Please don't cry, Cat."

"What do you want," she said, the bitterness she felt reflected in her voice.

"To talk to you," he answered calmly. As angry as she was, there was something soothing about his voice. "Where are you?"

"Guess," she said, her voice nearly a whisper. Then he hung up. She barely had time to react before the door swung open and Beck slipped into the room, shutting the door behind him. "Good guess."

"Thanks," Beck said quietly. "Did I do something wrong?" Cat propped herself up onto a desk that was placed against the wall and brought her knees up, as she hugged them. Without answering him with words, she just stared at him, which she realized she did a lot of. "Well, if you're not going to talk, then I guess I will. Look, I don't know what's wrong, if you're still upset over everything that's happened, which you have every right to be. But what happened to what you said up there? About being happy?"

"This isn't about my dad," Cat interrupted him, her expression slowly turning into a scowl.

"Then what is it about?" Beck asked, with his arms crossed over his chest. "I'd really love to know. You've been looking at me like a piece of meat since you got back to school. You're looking at me the way Jade would when we were fighting."

Hearing him say Jade's name was a like a blow to the head, and she tilted her head back to rest it against the wall. "I'm not doing anything like Jade."

"Yeah? You're starting to act like her, with all your scowling." Cat couldn't believe Beck was actually scolding her, letting alone comparing her to Jade.

"I'm nothing like Jade!" Cat said, her voice beginning to rise. "So if that's what you want me to be, then sorry, but that's not me."

"I never said I wanted you to be like Jade," Beck's voice started to tenderize. "Why would I ever want that? You sound stupid right now."

His words struck her in such a way that her body was tingling with adrenaline and anger, and she could hardly contain herself. "Screw you," she muttered and jumped off the desk, pushing her way past Beck. She got as far as wrapping her fingers around the doorknob when she felt Beck's hand on her arm, and she looked back at him to say, "Let go of me."

"Can we just talk, Cat?" he asked after a moment of silent strain. His voice sounded exhausted, and Cat was weakened by the look in his eyes. They told her that she needed to hear what he had to say, and Cat just didn't have the strength to say no. So, defeated, she walked back to her side of the closet and looked at him.

"Alright, talk," she said, as calm and collected as she possibly could be.

"Are you mad at me because I'm back together with Jade?" Beck asked as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"No," Cat answered, even though she was still asking herself that question.

"Then what?" he tried.

"I'm mad at you because I," Cat started. Her words stopped as soon as she felt herself hit some sort of mentally-fabricated wall.

"You what?" Beck pushed on.

"I don't know," was all Cat could say. And then she pushed her way past him once again, but this time he let her go.


End file.
